North Carolina makes a trip down to South
Beach to take on the ACC leading Miami Hurricanes Saturday
afternoon.

The Tar Heels are coming off three straight
victories and will look to continue the streak and climb the
rankings.UNC will
also seek to avenge an earlier loss to the Hurricanes and end
Miami's undefeated ACC run.

Johnson hasn't quite been his double-double self since returning
from injury but seems due to have a breakout game one of these days.

Kadji on the other hand has played at an All-ACC level for much
of the year. Kadji (13.4 PPG, 6.8 RPG) has a smooth
inside-outside game that will put McAdoo in weird positions on the
defensive end.

It will be imperative that McAdoo isn't a one man gang in the
paint. He'll need help from
Desmond Hubert and other big men to contain the two talented
Miami Hurricanes down low.

James Michael McAdoo

Speaking of McAdoo, he's managed a double-double in his last four
outings.

He's also developed a nice mid-range game that has allowed his
efficiency to rise on the offensive end.
McAdoo and fellow talent
Reggie Bullock have become the unquestioned leaders of UNC's
basketball team this year.

Bullock called a player's only meeting earlier in the year and
McAdoo has become the go-to guy for UNC on the court.

Playing against the elite of the ACC over the next few games will
require McAdoo and Bullock to continue performing at a high level.

Momentum

The game against Miami begins a stretch where UNC will play at
Miami, at Duke, home against Virginia, then back on the road against
Georgia Tech and then hosting N.C. State.

Beating Miami, while obviously good for UNC's quest to climb the
standings, will give UNC its biggest win of the season heading into
its most difficult stretch.

The confidence that would come from such a victory can't be
understated.

UNC will head to Duke next week and won't catch any advantages
heading into Cameron Indoor Stadium. That experience will be a
new one for guys like
Brice Johnson,
Joel James and
J.P. Tokoto.

Avenging a loss to Miami, who in retrospect wasn't a bad loss,
could create a snow-ball effect as UNC continues along its journey.
Losing could have the same effect, only in the opposite direction.

Brice Johnson

Keep an eye on Johnson in this one.

McAdoo is going against two aggressive guys from Miami and it
won't be a stretch to see him get into foul trouble.

Johnson was called upon to play an increase role against N.C.
State when McAdoo had to leave early and Johnson might see himself
in a similar situation.

Johnson has been crafty around the basket shooting almost 60
percent. He's got a nice fade-a-way and is athletic, which
could pose problems for the heavier-set Reggie Johnson.

Not much. Miami hasn't lost since and has
gotten strong and gained more accolades. The same could be said
for North Carolina.

UNC has gelled over the last few weeks and
didn't totally collapse against N.C. State after going down big.
They've shown resiliency and have become stronger because of it.

Keep in mind that UNC hasn't lost in Miami
the last five times they've played there. This should be a close one and has all the
makings of a game that will forecast a lot about the coming month
heading into tournament season.